Man who stole 18-carat golden toilet from English palace convicted along with his accomplice
CBSN
A thief who swiped a golden toilet from an English palace was convicted Tuesday along with an accomplice who helped cash in on the spoils of the 18-carat work of art insured for more than $6 million.
Michael Jones had used the fully functioning one-of-a-kind latrine as he did reconnaissance at Blenheim Palace — the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born — the day before the theft, prosecutors said. He described the experience as "splendid."
He returned before dawn on Sept. 14, 2019, with at least two other men armed with sledgehammers and crowbars, smashing a window and prying the toilet from its mount. Because the toilet was fully functional and connected to Blenheim Palace's plumbing system before it was taken, the removal caused "significant damage and flooding in the building," police said at the time. The men escaped in stolen vehicles.
